The prior art reveals a variety of hydraulically or motor driven brushing devices which are variously described in broad terms as brushes, scrubbers, massagers, scratchers, bathing devices, and the like. These devices include devices that are designed to be mounted on a wall such as the wall of a shower where they are used to provide a cleansing and rejuvenating action on the body while taking a shower. However, the precise nature of such "action" may vary from one device to the next.
In some cases, the action is a reciprocating action as is disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,756 granted to Williams et al. on Nov. 10, 1987. In other cases, the action may be a rotary action as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,776 granted to Roberts on June 4, 1963 (showing cylindrical brushing surfaces rotating about vertical axes), and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,623 granted to Steere on May 1, 1979 (showing a flat brushing surface rotating in a vertical plane). In at least one case, the action is a combined reciprocal and rotary action: see U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,871 granted to Martin on Jan. 1, 1985.
While reciprocating actions or rotary actions are effective to a degree, they do not achieve what may be described as a true scrubbing action where any given spot that is being brushed is brushed from several directions. To achieve improved cleansing action, it is desirable to brush from several different directions because the hold or stick of dirt, grime, and the like may be weaker in some directions than others.
The scrubbing effectiveness of a pure reciprocating action is limited because any given spot that is being brushed is brushed from only two directions that are opposed 180.degree. to each other (viz. back and forth, up and down, etc.). The scrubbing effectiveness of a pure rotary action (rotation about a fixed axis) is likewise limited, if not more so. In the case of pure rotary actions, any given spot will be brushed from only one direction (viz. the direction of rotation of the brush). Furthermore, with a rotary brush of the type where the brushing surface rotates in a fixed plane, the rate of brushing action will vary from zero to a maximum depending on distance from the axis of rotation. In general, it may be noted that rotary actions as disclosed by Roberts, Steere and Martin, supra, when used in a shower bath, can be undesirably prone to spraying soapy water from the outer perimeter of the brushes moving at relatively high speed.
If reciprocating action is combined with rotary action as contemplated by Martin, supra, the scrubbing effectiveness is somewhat improved. Any given spot on the body may in fact be brushed from several directions, but the effectiveness will vary across the brushing surface from near zero at the rotary axis of the brush to a maximum at its outer perimeter. Thus, the scrubbing effectiveness that is achieved is not achieved uniformly across the full brushing surface. Further, as indicated above, the rotary action of the Martin brush is apt to create an undesirable spray of soapy water.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved body scrubbing apparatus that provides a true scrubbing action where any given spot that is being brushed is brushed from several directions.
It is a further object of the present invention that such scrubbing action be uniform across the full brushing surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new hydraulic drive mechanism for such scrubbing apparatus.